Overweight

Fat Girls and Lawn Chairs has been compared to the writing of Erma Bombeck. It seems that publishers and publicists feel obliged, when pushing an author who is funny, to compare women to Erma Bombeck and men to Bill Bryson or Dave Barry. Sometimes they awkwardly compare a woman to Bill Bryson -- "a female Bill Bryson!" They never compare a funny male author to Erma Bombeck -- "a male Erma Bombeck!" But I digress.

Cheryl Peck has a voice that is all her own. These short pieces are not hysterically funny. They would not make a good stand-up routine. But they are very well-written. Peck turns seemingly mundane subjects such as growing tomatoes and her first chocolate malt into compelling essays. The pieces about her cat, Babycakes, wander precariously close to the edge of precious, but, to my mind, never go too far. The essay about not coming out to her father was thoughtful, and powerful in its understated style.

I especially love the story of how this book came to be. Friends of Peck convinced her to write down the amusing stories she told them and she finally did, and another friend helped her self-publish it as a book for her family and friends. And now here it is, doing quite well on Amazon.com and at my neighborhood bookstore and at the local library. Well done!

Once again the title speaks for itself. At first I thought it was a diet book because fat chicks in lawn chairs aren't working out so they get fat. Then I read the book and laughed. Fat chicks are funny.

I've had this book for less than 24 hours and have read it laughing out loud, with tears in my eyes, and soaking it up like rich conversation with a dear old friend. I even read one story over the phone to my mother, another to my girlfriend, and still another to one of my sisters. Reading Peck's book left me wondering if she's been looking over my shoulder in my own life!? It'll be the give-away book of the year from me to my bestest of friends!

"Such A Pretty Face" puts more than just a new look at an old stereotype. Editor Lee Martindale has put together an amazing collection of size-positive short stories to celebrate a new era of heroes. With contributions from both well-established authors to new-comers in the genre, these stories are inspiring and entertaining. They affirm the beauty and abilities of a snubbed majority - the person of size. This collection is ground-breaking, exciting, and long overdue, but has been well worth the wait...and weight.

No, I haven't any reason to think it will be a series, but I can hope, can't I?

I ran across the book back in July and fell in with the cover painting. Then I saw that it was edited by Lee Martindale, someone I remembered encountering (and respecting) in the size acceptance newsgroups. At that point I probably would have bought it no matter what, but the theme of the anthology cinched it.

I finished it within 48 hours of getting it, and it was wonderful. As usual with any anthology, I enjoyed some stories more than others. I think "Demon Bone" by Teresa Noelle Roberts had to be my favorite story. The poem "Fat Is Not A Fairy Tale" by Jane Yolen and Elizabeth Ann Scarborough's story "Worse Than The Curse" were awfully good, though :-) Paula L. Fleming's "Polyformus Perfectus" left me wishing it were the beginning of a novel rather than a short story.

I've already recommended this book to quite a few people, but I have a feeling I'll be handing it out to more. I'll probably buy a hardback copy to keep and loan out the paperback, but I'll be buying some copies to give as gifts as well.

And if I EVER find a print of the cover painting by Doug Beekman, it's going in a place of honor in my living room.

This is an anthology about fat people published by Meisha Merlin Publishing. Such SF/F luminaries as Jody Lynn Nye, Gene Wolfe, Jane Yolen, Elizabeth Ann Scarborough, K.D. Wentworth, and a host of others present a look at another view of the hero. A princess is cursed, and starts a new fashion trend, a sizeable selkie is the love of a man's life, a forty-year-old fat bi . . . uh, woman rediscovers the joy of creation on a lonely dirt road, and a couple of truly fat cats are far more than they appear. These and more stories just as exciting grace the pages of this thoughtful, wildly funny, and excellent volume of stories.

If you're tired of fighting battles with yourself, you need this audio CD! I have tried all of the diets, all of the exercise programs, and at age 40 I still have never managed to find something that works... until now! Kelly Burris's premise is simple: get rid of the destructive thinking that constantly sabotages all your efforts to be what you want to be.

As little kids we are taught that food is a reward: "Finish your dinner and you can have dessert." "You can have a piece of candy if you (fill in the blank)." You can never really break away from these destructive habits until you address and change them. These subconscious messages are constantly talking to us and giving us the message that we should reward ourselves with food. Our negative messages in our heads tell us to eat because we are fat anyway, and what's the use of trying?

I spent several hours listening to the CD, completing the accompanying booklet, and doing some serious soul-searching. I revisit the writing I did in my booklet every morning and every night. I listen to the CD from time to time to recall key points.

The result: I no longer dwell on food. My thoughts are on other things, and I barely think about food anymore except when I feel hungry. My body is slimming down, and feeling deprived or hungry is never a problem. I am not "dieting." I am just eating when I am hungry and stopping when I'm full, and living a life that does NOT focus on my next meal. I feel liberated!

If you have tried everything else, and feel that your real problem is the destructive thinking that always gets in your way, you should spend this small amount of money to change your life... and your mind!

I really enjoyed Kelly Burris' audio book. I have been studying diet, nutrition, and exercise for 30 years, and Kelly's tenets ring true. There really wasn't anything I would disagree with in the book. We are powerful beings if we would just access that power of the mind. It doesn't have to be a difficult process to lose weight and be fit if you are committed to truly changing the way you think. This book can help you do this. I am sending a copy to a family member with a weight problem(really a mind problem--the weight is just the symptom) and hopefully she will be as excited by it as I am. I also enjoyed Kelly's voice--enthusiastic, positive, and supportive at the same time. Finally someone has written a book that gets to the crux of overweight issues. This book could change your life. I highly recommend it. I wish my sister would have read this book before she had gastric by-pass surgery to lose weight. Thank you Kelly Burris.

This CD has been working wonders for me! Having worked for a software developer for several years the idea of actually programing or reprograming ones mind intrigued me. The author lays out the foundation for the program on the first track of the CD and then asks you to interact with the second track via a booklet that is included. I did have to listen to the CD more than once to fully understand the process but I did not hear anywhere on the CD where he required you to listen to it twice a day for six weeks as mentioned by the one negative review, and by the way there are some great visual techniques on the second track! The most difficult thing about reprograming oneself is that it requires you to think differently which may be objectionable to some people. Personally I enjoy learning new techniques to control my thoughts and feelings. I believe this process is a MAJOR breakthrough in software for the mind, but you do have to exhibit some diligence just as you would learning any other software program. Give this CD a try! It really works!

I think that if I had read this book ten years ago, I would have given it a higher rating; I really did enjoy her positive, up-beat take on size acceptance, and she was very honest about how difficult it can be.

However, to be truly honest, I simply could not enjoy the clothes! At 27 years old, I don't want to look like an explosion at a crayon factory. I love that Rita Farro wears just what she likes best, but I myself would rather look stylish and sophisticated instead of clownish. Again, this is my very own personal preference - I applaud Rita for following her vision, it's just not mine.

5 stars for the message, 1 star for the clothes.

It was such a pleasure to read a book (aimed at the "gifted") which shows a delightful awareness that fashion should be fun and reflect individual style. Unlike other books aimed at this market, this one is neither a dreary "self-help" approach nor an appeal to look "professional" (which, especially in NYC, generally means "dowdy.") This book should be on the shelf of everyone who enjoys both sewing and individuality in fashion, not only those who are plus sized. Rita's humour makes the reading marvellously original - her style gives a sense of sheer (or, perhaps, "shear") enjoyment. I especially liked her emphasis on colour and adapting patterns. For some, Rita's taste may seem a bit over the top (even I, who have rather bold tastes, would find the "carwash skirt" a little much), but her ideas can be adapted to the reader's personal style. For example, the "suit types" can use Rita's swing coat in any fabric, over a simple dress, and both have an "office look" and avoid the skirt-and-blouse cutoff point that is unflattering to most large women. Rita, most refreshingly, does not offer stock "self-help" talk, nor does she explore the current trends towards relating size to "issues" or "self-esteem." This is pure fashion, where building on one's own style and tastes makes for a wonderful look.

Whether you sew or not, Rita Farro's book is for all women of size. She uses wit, warmth and a large dose of common sense to get the message across that large women are just as entitled to be happy and productive as anyone else and those "fataphobics" who have a problem with us plus size gals...well, it's THEIR problem. All we can do, she says, is change ourselves for the better. We CAN be happy. And she's right. I spent years sitting at home feeling terrible about myself but after reading Rita's book, I started taking control of my life and in small steps, try to be better every day. I can't recommend this book too highly. I just wish Rita would hurry up and write another book!

The town of San Carmelita is trying to get into the holiday spirit, but someone has taken things too far. The mall parking lots are being stalked by the Santa Rapist. PI Savannah Reid has been asked by her friend, detective Dirk Coulter, to help nab this jerk before he ruins the town's Christmas celebration. There are very few leads to go on until one smart kid manages to get away. Now Savannah is asked to keep the girl safe, getting her mixed up in a family she'd rather avoid. The stakes are raised when a shooting occurs. But is it connected with the case?

Normally, I read series in order, but a friend had sent me this book and I thought it'd be fun to read a mystery set around Christmas time this month. This book wasn't quite what I was expecting. From the title of this and others in the series, I was expecting a light, cozy type book. Obviously, I hadn't read the back cover. This book is much darker then what I normally read. In fact, I almost quite when I realized what I'd gotten myself into. I hate to quit on books, however, and I'm glad I persevered.

The story works on several different levels, with sub-plots to keep you entertained. Even so, the mystery developed nicely, with plenty of red herrings that kept me guessing until the end. Savannah and her friends and family are interesting characters, and I enjoyed spending time with them, even if the reason why wasn't pleasant.

I don't know if this book was abnormally dark for the series of if this is normal. All I do know is that I enjoyed it and think I'll be spending more time in San Carmelita. I just won't do it until I'm ready for a book that's a bit darker then normal.

I love this series and can't believe it took me so long to find this author. This is the first series in a long time that has me laughing and sometimes crying thru the book. The warmth of the characters, their faults - they seem like real people and it didn't take long for the author to make you care about them. I love Dirk and his relationship with Savannah. Savannah is a tough but soft female and her side comments are what have you laughing and smiling. This is a series that I hope is long run. This author - with her first book grabbed a fan and with each book to her latest has moved herself up to the top of my list of favorite authors. If you like Kathleen Taylor, Caroline Haynes, Rhett MacPherson, even Susan Cooper Rogers - you will like this author. If you haven't read any of McKevett's books, start with Just Desserts. After that they can really be read in any order. But for shock value, read Just Desserts first. Don't miss out on this wonderful and talented author!

Plus-size Savannah Reid (private detective) is working with her good friend Dirk, and her Baywatch worthy assistant, Tammy Hart, to find a serial rapist whom dresses up as Santa Claus when he attacks his victims. But soon Savannah has a bigger problem, her old boss (Captain Bloss), wants her to be his 16-year-old daughters bodyguard, since she was the most recent victim (or, almost victim) of the attack. Soon Savannah is working hard to survive the holiday season, be a baby-sitter, be a hostess to her unexpected sister, brother-in-law, and their treacherous kids, and solve the mystery of the serial rapist, before he moves on to bigger things, such as murder.

This was my first Savannah Reid mystery, and I must admit, I was very impressed. The characters are very likeable and entertaining, and Savannah's feisty attitude is enough to make anyone laugh out loud. A must-read holiday mystery, that is great year-round.

Ok, I know I may incur the wrath of many here but I can't agree with the 5-star assessments of this book. I'm a photographer who shoots art nudes and I agree that large women can and are beautiful and I've seen many examples of wonderful photography depicting them as such. However, I don't believe that comes across in this book at all. In all, I found maybe two photos that I thought had some merit.

Women en Large is a collection of breathtaking nude studies. The photographs are deep, rich, and powerful. The women shown are completely at home in their bodies, and their steady gaze challenges common assumptions about what kind of body is suitable for framing. This is a groundbreaking work, an important salvo in the body wars. It should be in every feminist library.

As a result of this book Laurie Toby Edison is my idol. ;) Seriously, every woman [and men too!]should get their hands on a copy. It's rebellious and freeing. It can make you re-evaluate who you are and who you will be. How? Read on...

Our culture is currently worshipping the media-induced singular image of a woman increasingly starved. What has become acceptable as "ideal beauty" in this new millennium is a horrific portrait of emaciation reminiscent of the photos of the holocaust survivors of WWII. An image of beauty that the vast majority, unbeknownst to them, is supposed to never achieve. However, fueled by pressure from a 4 billion dollar a year diet industry- women, young and old, are buying into it and are literally dying to have bodies that fit the mold -regardless of health- with constant dieting, pills, shakes, bulimia, anorexia, surgery, etc... Women AND men are letting themselves be brainwashed down to the most intimate and private layers of their being. We conduct our businesses and most intimate relationships all in faithful obedience to this irrational oppressive social dogma. In America, we judge and allow ourselves and those around us to be judged. Then we live accordingly, without question, in this disgraceful, presently dominant looks-based caste system. We, in reality, are like a flourishing and diverse forest of humanity; yet, in America society would like you to believe that the young leafless little saplings with white bark are the only beautiful trees! What a weak forest that would be! Imagine trying to force all the trees to conform to that one ideal? ...shave 'em all down to twigs and paint 'em white? Sound silly? now apply it to people! Give me a tree that has some strength and character anyday! ...And thus we arrive at Laurie Toby Edison and Debbie Notkin's masterpiece, Women En Large. They have brought together images and words that speak for the over 60% of women in this country considered 'too heavy' to be part of the 'ideal' image of beauty. All women everywhere should see this book and try to absorb what it would really mean if we were all considered beautiful... that it IS possible to break out of this harsh and evil underlying caste system that plagues our ability to find joy in living in our own skin [thin or fat]. It isn't an easy task to take on. We are bombarded constantly over and over with one message 24 hours every day on radio, tv, magazines, billboards etc... and that is that we are too fat! We are now so pre-occupied with weight, that valueable chunks of our lives are wasted focusing on our size! I imagine that if our world ended today and a new society found our remains, they would think that only about five or six women over 95 pounds ever existed in our culture! .....Unless they found this book. ---You must get your hands on a copy and absorb it. Even if it is hard to look at at first, find joy in it. It can be powerful, scary, and wonderful. It is the antithesis of the images you are "supposed" to be looking at. Revel in that fact! Laurie Toby Edison's work can free us all! Do you DARE order this book? SAY YES! Do it NOW!

Author Meredith Clair tried every fad diet and failed. Then she joined the Weight Watchers class run by Ertha, who ran the class like a Zen master and provided "thinspirations" that seemed to work. According to Ertha, dieting is about suffering and sacrifice, and the four enemies of diet success are temptation, sloth, jealousy, and weakness. So Clair decided to distill this diet wisdom, along with a lifetime of dieting experience, into haiku verse.

I would categorize this book as a humor book rather than a diet book since there is not a lot of advice on dieting how-to. The haiku itself does not flow very well compared to "Honku: the Zen Antidote to Road Rage" or other similar titles. That is why I did not give the book more stars than I did. However, it does touch upon every fad diet and frustration the typical dieter encounters, and it is quite funny. Here are some examples:

On temptation: Chocolate passes/too quickly over the tongue/preferring the hips.
On sloth: Training wheels, training/bras, and personal trainers./The Cycle of Life.
On weakness: Tasty pink grapefruit - /significantly less so/after the eighth day.
On jealousy: Consider Helen/whose face launched all that trouble./Better to be plain.
On resignation: We shall overcome./If we don't, there are always/elastic waistbands.

If you have ever struggled with losing weight, you will find lots of laughs here.

Why would anyone interpret this book as a how-to, when it is so clearly a humor book? Oy vey! This is the funniest book I've read in a long time. It's about time someone sent up dieting culture. If I read one more how-to diet book, I'm gonna barf!

This is so funny you'll want to keep flipping through to find more quips. It's a must have stocking stuffer. whether you're "stuffed" or not.

As someone who has struggled with eating disorders for over ten years and has been both severely underweight and overweight within the space of 18 months, I thought this book might in some way be helpful. Some of it was, but the major flaws it also contains ruined my reading of it. Bovey is angry - fair enough, but she lets her anger cloud her vision and goes much too far with many poorly-researched, aggressive arguments. In particular the points she tries to make about anorexia are extremely offensive. She narrows her focus to see only a world in which compassion is finite and the apparently selfish anorexic has stolen all of the sympathy owed to the overweight woman. That just simply isn't the way things are and anorexics are in many ways treated far worse than the overweight - force-fed and locked in isolated rooms without light or conversation until a certain weight is gained is what I remember. But this isn't the point, anyhow. It's not a competition. There is no need to try to prove your own suffering is more worthy than someone else's. The points you make should be able to stand alone. Bovey's viewpoint is extreme. She has no distance from what she is writing about, which can make for a passionate book, but also a very black-and-white attitude. Surely there is space for a middle ground of acceptance, where larger people do not have to vie for respect at the expense of others? In a truly fair world, one in which no one is discriminated against because of size, I would like to think criticizing the very thin would also be unacceptable. In many ways, Bovey's aggression reaffirms her perceived "outsider" status and allows little room for reconciliation.

Bovey writes a convincing piece using a mix of scientific research, personal experience, and letters from her readers. The author presents dozens of pieces of evidence to support her argument that being fat does not necessarily mean being unhealthy. Bovey is angry, and it shows through her use of strong words and the occasional shard of sarcasm. The only failing of Bovey's work of non-fiction is a relative lack of organization. This disorder does not overly detract from the effect of the book, however.

Bovey's work has helped this reviewer to see fat and fat prejudice for what it is and is not. This book is recommended reading for any fat person and is directed at women specifically. It dispells taboos regarding weight and reveals that all the worry about weight is silly and utterly useless.

I don't say this about many books, but this one changed my life. It made me feel ten times better and destroyed the myths about dieting & the "dangers" of being fat. You know you're living in an insane world when you're told that your respiratory problem is due to being overweight (mine is actually due to an allergy) - a trivial misdiagnosis but in some cases it could be fatal. Read this book, even if you're a stick insect. You are free to be who and what you are, not what is prescribed by the media.

I had been looking forward to finally reading something written by a man who is an unabashed FA. There were some places in the book where I thought Aha; and there were some places where I was just scratching my head, confused.

Since there are few men who will admit without shame that they are attracted to fat women, I have to give Mayer points for making his opinion known, especially in our thin-obsessed society.

This book opened up my eyes to what our society is like! Since I read it I can no longer stomach looking at some of the sick looking models that do jean commercials. Why would anyone look like that? What about some of the really beautiful larger women? Someone like Camryn Manheim? How come they never do those commercials.

I happen to be a workout fanatic and eat and exercise to feel good. Looking good should not be starving oneself and have a frame that looks like it will snap in two.

I admire women of all shapes and sizes. A pretty face and shapely body (not a pencil thin one)is what I like in looks. Usually, a warm and cheerful personality makes the face beautiful (not tons of make-up). People need to stop falling for advertising by people that are trying to sell you a false bill of goods.

Bravo Mr. Mayer!

Being written by a man, I chose this as my first book on Fat Acceptance/Advancement. Namely because it was so unusual to me to see a man standing up and saying he loved woman-sized women. What a concept!!!! I chose well! After reading this I have surpisingly discovered that a whole library of these most liberating and revolutionary books exist and have been doing a lot of 'catching up' reading since. This book really opened my eyes and my life. Had I read or heard any of these things when I was younger, I would have never subjected myself to all of those self-defeating, demeaning, and dangerous practices of trying to make my body something it wasn't. I am in the prime of my life and can finally see things with clear eyes. Thank you Ken Mayer (and Marilyn Wann (Fat!So?, another GREAT book).

It doesn't take a rocket scientist to know that too much TV and too many snack foods will likely lead to an over-weight child. I didn't need this book to tell me to limit TV and have my children excercise in order to keep them in shape.

If you like fat-free mayonaise, fat-free cream cheese or reduced fat jarred turkey gravy, then this book is for you. I personally think that these things are disgusting, and wish that I not purchased this book.

I wanted to new ideas for heathy eating for children - this book did not provide it.

I loved this book! It has been a great resource for me as a professional and as a mother of three growing children. I am a family therapist who sees many single mothers of young children. They are often overwhelmed with the physical, emotional, and financial demands of parenting. This book's easy and quick recipes were perfect; not too time consuming, and not too complicated. Moreover, the education regarding the importance of healthy eating, was very well received. Dr. McAllister's humor and her easy reading style encouraged many of my clients to prioritize nutrition. Many of the moms I work with became excited about their own nutrition. They felt they were doing something important for their children and themselves. As a busy mom, I too appreciated the quick snack ideas. Kids want to eat "right now" and too often they grab what ever is in arms reach and can be ripped open fast. This book gave me some plan ahead ideas that did not keep me up all night. I was also reminded of the lack of nutritional value in many of the foods my kids reach for. It motivated me as well as my clients. It is a great resource. I also plan to continue to share it with my clients and my friends. Thank you Dr. McAllister!

This book is a must have for any mom, whether you have a new infant or a home full of teens. I'm about to have my first child and so thankful that I have read HEALTHY LUNCHBOX. This book offers straightforward advice on how to instill healthy eating habits from the beginning of your child's life, and continuing through the teen years. McAllister's professional insight on early eating has given me the necessary skills to start my baby off on the right nutritional path. There's no doubt that over the years this book will be a household resource on how to best feed my family.